Sorrow Descends from the Heavens

"Everyone, stay alert. Something's not right."

Having lost contact with every other Hunter squad in this war zone, Kaisang, captain of the Rolling Clouds Squad, immediately addressed his team in a grave tone:

"From this point on, we'll switch to covert operations. We'll quietly make our way to where those squads were last located, then find out what exactly happened to them."

Hearing their captain's improvised orders, everyone nodded in wary agreement.

However, just as Kaisang and his group decided to conceal their tracks for the time being and investigate the changes in the overall situation from the shadows, a strange, hoarse voice suddenly rose without warning, chillingly brushing against Kaisang's eardrums.

"Dust to dust, earth to earth."

"Grass must wither, flowers must fade."

"Where there is life, there is evil. Only lifelessness brings true harmony."

Kaisang's expression changed violently. He immediately raised his head and scanned the woods around him, only to find no trace of anything resembling an enemy. Worse still, even the teammates behind him had all vanished without his noticing.

"Ah!?"

Kaisang cried out instinctively, completely unprepared for such a bizarre sight.

Yet the blurry voice paid him no heed, merely continuing to murmur those incomprehensible scriptural chants by his ear.

"Burdened by sin yet wholly unaware, you and I are both evil fruits obstructing the survival of truth."

Kaisang had no idea where the voice was coming from. At the same time, although his teammates had inexplicably disappeared before his eyes, he could somehow still hear their hazy, distant voices, like cries carried over from a place unimaginably far away.

"Eh? Why did Kaisang suddenly stop moving?"

"Hey, what's wrong with you? Wake up already!"

"Wait. Look over there. Someone's coming."

"It's the Clown! The Clown found us! Forget Kaisang, hurry and fight!"

"Urgh—ah!"

Listening